Assessment of service delivery challenges during the fourth industrial revolution in the Eastern Cape Department of Transport, South Africa

Abstract

The South African transport sector is not immune to global disruptions caused by the 4IR. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have captured the curiosity of scholars and practitioners alike opening lucrative possibilities for the adoption of AI applications in the public sector. Previous research focused on how to adapt to both challenges and potential that arose from 4IR, and the technology adoption processes without assessing a government department's ability to embrace new AI technologies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the organisational behaviour and procedures of the ECDoT in providing service delivery during the 4IR and determine its readiness to adapt, develop, and transition. A review of the Institutional Theory, the diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI), and the Technology Organization Environment (TOE) produced theories that helped in comprehending the strategies in place within ECDoT together with the service delivery challenges and its trend to usher in 4IR in the context of AI. The study used a quantitative method of study, along with a descriptive survey research design to determine a target population's features by means of an electronic questionnaire. A random sampling procedure with a sample size of 200 went to use among an overall population of 739 with a total of 140 answers in all. The Smart PLS software and the Statistical Software Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) were used to analyse the data. The findings confirmed positive correlations between technological readiness, environmental readiness, and technological readiness, each illustrating a significant impact on the overall AI readiness of the ECDoT. The results reinforce that the adoption of new AI technologies contributes to organisational effectiveness. Therefore, a revised change management strategy that incorporates the usage of AI technologies by change agents is a huge indicator of the achievement of AI readiness. An AI-enabled government with active AI strategies, strong AI adoption, and strong digital capabilities achieve superior performance. It is also suggested that future studies simulate the questionnaire survey through the national, provincial, and municipal tiers so that the findings may be extended to each of South Africa’s Departments of Transport.